Use of energy exchange, such as heat exchange to drive a piston has been well-known for many years. The basic principle, in its simplest form, is to use the difference between a hot and cold area to cause a shift of “working fluid”, to create energy. The movement can then be used to drive a piston such as in an engine, commonly known as a “Sterling Motor”. The precise manner of use of heat exchange engine has evolved over the years to include use of a shield or displacer that moves between locations to assist in the movement of the energy, then used to drive a piston or the like. The principles utilised are applicable to a wide range of industries, with a wide range of applications.
In recent times there has been a desire to use significantly higher pressures within these types of engines, typically 200 bar or more. To accommodate these significantly higher pressures the wall thickness of the vessels must be very thick, typically 30 millimetres or more of usually iron. Thin walled vessels are not suitable to contain the high pressures and must be very thick. There are further problems with the thick walls necessitated by the high pressures, as the heating and cooling is impeded by the wall thickness, heat cannot get in and cooling cannot get out. Subsequently the exchange of energy is slowed and works inefficiently.
Therefore, there has been for a very long period of time a strong frustration with the conventional design of these types of motors or devices. The thickness of the wall is necessary for the high pressures but limits the flow of energy in and out of the device, or the ability to create areas of cold and hot. It is also very difficult to make a workable motor with necessary thick vessel walls, if the input temperature is to be lower. The problem has been clear for a long time and much thought has been put into how could there be an improvement but no solution or even partial solution has been found.
The inventor, in a desire to improve the design of these types of engines or devices, has developed an inventive method and apparatus which is likely to introduce a significant change to the nature of these types of motor in the future. The invention uses a separated fluid exchange, such as through use of a separation chamber or gated area to separate the heating from the other parts of the sealed system. In this manner the heating part can be thin walled for good heat exchange, and the other parts of the apparatus adapted for high pressures with the necessary thick walls. Once the invention is known by people in the relevant industries, of which there are many, it is considered that it will rapidly be adopted as the standard.
Clearly, the invention is applicable in a great many fields and applications, only some of which are discussed here as examples to the breadth of application. Where a similar form of energy or heat exchange or motor is used the principles of the invention may similarly be applied, as would be understood by a person skilled in the art. It is not intended that the invention be in any way limited to the examples given, these are to illustrate the significant uses available for the invention. The inventive method and fluid exchange is equally applicable to a refrigeration system.
Throughout the specification and claims the term “exchange” is used to be indicative of the movement of fluid in the system. Typically this will be the movement of a heated fluid from the source of the heat towards a cooling area, as would be readily understood by a person skilled in the art. The term “exchange” in some circumstances may be a more loose use of the term, to indicate movement.
For clarity, any prior art referred to herein, does not constitute an admission that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of fluid exchange that at least ameliorates one or more of the aforementioned problems of the prior art. It is a further object of the invention to provide a separation apparatus for fluid exchange, that at least ameliorates one or more of the aforementioned problems of the prior art.